Taking Shelter With Literacy
Welcome to Taking Shelter with Literacy (TSWL)
We work with women's shelters throughout Alberta. TSWL aims to help build safer families, homes and communities through our program of training, advice and resources. Find out what services we have for your shelter, and how you can benefit. All services are free. Let's connect.
Contact Pam Swimmer, Project Coordinator, for details at: pswimmer@literacyalberta.ca or phone 403-410-6988.
Who is TSWL?
Literacy Alberta and the Further Education Society of Alberta (FESA) have teamed up to provide services. We offer advice, training and resources focused on literacy, essential skills, parenting and confidence building. We are here to help you, help your clients. Use these links to find our more about Literacy Alberta and FESA.
Why is TSWL helping women's shelters?
Our goals are to reduce family violence, by building your clients' capacity to learn and change their lives. We want to reduce involvement in crime, requirements for social and health services, and, the impact of violence on literacy and learning.
We want to help you help your clients to:
raise their literacy and essential skills levels, and
build positive parenting after violence practices.
TSWL takes a holistic approach – working with shelter staff to help them provide enhanced services to clients, who can then take them home to their families and into the community.
How does TSWL work?
We will visit your shelter, and, get to know you and your needs. Then we will create a program of training, information sharing and services tailored to you and your clients' requirements.
TSWL will work with closely with your staff to:
increase skills and enhance services,
share the latest knowledge on violence and learning, and
develop plans to improve provision to your clients.
We always keep in mind the impact of violence on your clients' ability to learn and take action.
What are my TSWL service options?
TSWL services are varied, optional and free. You can build your own program, from the following:
Literacy Audit – identifies your literacy strengths and where we can help you improve.
Parenting After Violence (PAV) Facilitator Training – Staff gain skills in sharing positive parenting after violence practices. Culturally sensitive. Sessions provided for your clients.
Parenting After Violence (PAV) Programming - Educational sessions for shelter clients to build on their parenting and literacy skills.
Impact of Violence on Learning Training – Dr Jenny Horsman will share her leading research, resources and advice. More information can be found here.
Plain Language Workshop – Learn how to assess your audience's communications needs and create information they will understand, use and appreciate.
Library - Books and resources with a focus on literacy, skills development, health and reading for enjoyment. Comes with an instructional how to use guide for staff.
You can choose from any or all the services we offer.
What benefits do you get?
Shelters that participate in the TSWL project will:
- become more literacy-friendly
- gain helpful essential skills tools to pass on,
- decrease communications barriers, by increasing plain language use,
- expand staff's training skills, reources and awareness, and
- build clients' parenting skills, self-esteem, literacy and learning skills.
We work inside your organization, so you can pass these valuable skills, knowledge and resources onto your clients. They can take them back to their families, homes and communities. Everyone benefits.
Where do we start?
Contact TSWL and we will arrange a convenient time to meet. We will look at all the options and build a program just for you. Once we start, you can help by recruiting staff for the workshops, encouraging use of the library and resources, mentoring clients in parenting, and participating in the evaluation process.
Let's connect. Get in touch with Pam Swimmer, Project Coordinator to get started.
Email: pswimmer@literacyalberta.ca. Phone: 403-410-6988.
This project is funded by the Government of Alberta Safe Communities Initiative.
